ESL 91SPRING, 2002DR. TARA WEISSSTUDENT ESSAYS: BIOLOGY

The cell is basic unit of life. Cells are the smallest
structures capable of basic life processes, such as
taking in nutrients, expelling waste, and reproducing.
All living things are composed of cells. Cells carry
thousands of biochemical reactions each minute and
reproduce new cells that preserve life.

All cells arise from other cells. New cells formed
when one cell divides into two cells. Every living
being from the smallest bacterium to the tallest tree
is the product of cell division. According to the
article, "division of body cells may be a method of
reproduction if the new cells separate from the parent
and form a complete, independent individual"
(Encyclopedia "Cell").

Most cells are microscopic. In the 1600s, Anton van
Leeuwenhoek, made his own a simple microscope. A
microscope makes things look larger.
He was the first person who could see cells of living
things through the microscope. Also another scientist,
Robert Hook, made a compound microscope.

Now, the scientists, have ability to learn more about
different cells through the microscope. They learn how
some bacteria cause disease and infection. Then they
work out over a new medicine to help people with one
or another disease. Today, many scientists study
cancer cells. During many years scientists couldnít
search and make out a medicine that can kill the
cancer cells. The scientists always work and hope that
they could find the way to help people with the cancer
disease, and maybe in future millions and millions of
lives will save.

Biologists discovered through a microscope that cells
carry many structures that keep the organism and the
cell alive. Each cell has 13 structures: plasma
membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, nucleolus, ribosome,
endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, golgi complex,
lysosomes, vacuoles, cetrioles, chloroplasts, cell
wall. Nucleus is the most important and the largest
part of the cell because it is the control center for
cell reproduction.

My Response

I think, that study of cells is very interesting.
Everybody knows that from the microscopic cell begins
the life of living things on the earth. Can you
imagine, if cells donít be on the earth? It will be no
human being, no animals, no pelagians, and no plants.
So, the earth will be like another planets where cells
canít live.

Did you ever think, about, why only on the earth
could live all living things? I think just, because
the climate on the earth gives a chance to cells
develops and that why we have trees, animals and human
being. Maybe in the future on another planets like
Mars the scientists will find cells which could live
and develop, and there will live a human like us.

I think we have to take care of earth because we
have just one earth, which is our home. We have to
take responsibility of nature, this means we donít
kill animals, and we donít pollute atmosphere. Itís
very important that our children have a healthy
future.